Pandemonium Hearts II
by Candle-tender Yena
Summary: Sequel to T-rated "Pandemonium Hearts I". Nico isn't hardly Mr Emo Prince of Hades anymore, and on top of that he's starting to become people-friendly. Irregardless to all that, Percy is still a tempest towards him. Combined, the two of them make a pandemonium whirlwind of hearts. /First chapter is considerably T instead of M, but oh well!


**A/N: Hello hello hello and hello! I'm so sorry for the long wait! Thinking up of a continuation was harder than I expected!**

**Previously, I said "Pandemonium Hearts II" would consist of one chapter (or so it sounds like in my note). I have decided that it will be more, maybe two or three. Here's the first! (M-stuff will come out later, haha!)**

**Enjoy~! XD**

* * *

Percy's original plan was to enjoy his meal in peace at the Poseidon table. Alone. Whilst he pondered over the new tasks for the camp juniors. Enjoying one of the rare moments of relax he could afford. But given his luck, he might as well have been asking a goddess for her hand in marriage when he was a donkey.

"Nico! Tell us your adventures!"

"Gawd, Nico! What happened to that scar?"

"Nico! Come sit over here – It's a free seat!"

"Nico, come on! Tell me how'd you grow so tall in such a short time!"

"Nico!"

"Nico!"

"Nico!"

Percy was on the verge of pressing his palms to the sides of his head to keep it from literally splitting apart. Did he mention that the shrieks of twelve years old and rather "young" kids were a pain?

It was true that Nico didn't have a table of his own just yet. He and Chiron were considering one, but somehow whenever he visited it had become a tradition for him to sit with Percy. Plus, he naturally sat with Percy because: a) the nephew of Poseidon and Zeus, though comparing the choices, it was much safer for him to eat with the Sea God with Percy there for permission (as far as Percy would think, Zeus was much more – "stingy" is the kind word – to share things, and much more short-tempered); b) Percy was the only "guardian" Nico trusted, and; c)he still had the nature to prefer being alone.

It was also once considered an almost natural pattern that, aside shy approaches from newbies who originally just came to talk to Percy (courageous ones tried sparking a conversation to Nico after a "Hi"), Nico was hardly the focus of attention of people. Once. Now, with the excited campers crowded around the corner of a table, which happened to be where Nico was sitting, Percy was scared to some extent. The natural characteristic of shadow-Nico was temporarily absent.

Nico was having a fairly hard deal responding to these sudden attentions.

"Hey, Melissa. Long time no see. Oh, this? I got this when a hellhound not Mrs O'Leary attacked me. Cynthia! Great to see you fine. Danny, don't punch your brother. Yes, Portia, I remember all of your names."

Gods, Percy itched to punch the son of Hades in the face. He sounded like some celebrity in school who had a hard time warding off school fans. And Percy, considerably "close" to him by thousands of meanings, was disgusted.

"Nico, for goodness's sake! Why don't you go over there to the Athena's table and answer the questions? Or better still; go to the camp fire later! You're free to talk there without having to bother people from eating!"

Under normal circumstances Percy would never show others his discomfort. But the stress was immense he had to show it to the whole world so they can leave him in peace. He wanted peace for a moment.

Nico raised his eyebrows at him. After a moment of processing, he smirked and turned to the group.

"Kay, guys. Let's go somewhere else. I don't want to trouble Percy any further. Besides, he does look tired."

How tired did he look like Percy didn't know, but from the gasps and nodding of heads he guessed it must've been spelt out quite obviously. Nico took his tray of food and stood up, leading the way to the camp fire outside and soon Percy had his environment of tranquility back. He sighed in relief and sunk back to his bench. A movement on his right, and Annabeth had crept up to him beside.

She smiled, "You alright, Seaweed Brain?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I'm alright."

"Wow. The sulking demigod transforms into a smiling one the moment I come," she said, grinning.

"Actually, you have a point," he nodded in agreement, "but I think Nico disappearing from here did most of it. You spearing just happened to be the second BIG layer of happiness that followed."

She shrugged in amusement. And from the way she could not stop smiling, obviously happy.

He noticed she was crouching whilst leaning on the bench for support: an act clearly not "sitting at other's tables". He couldn't help feeling awed by her boldness. Nevertheless he thought the better of it and, to her surprise, slunk down to sit on the floor beside her. He offered her his plate of chips. She glanced at it, and took one, munching it with appreciation.

They stayed like that for a while in silence. He asked, "How's life?"

She shrugged. "Fine, I guess. If what you call fighting monsters once a week outside mortal school without being hurt too much fine."

He frowned. "That isn't fine, Annabeth."

"But we're half-bloods. Isn't my life considered the lucky one?" she asked.

As a matter of fact, she was right. Most kids never survive attacks outside camp that often, and Percy himself had never managed to stay in a school after each monster assaults (minus the school he's now going Goode High).

"Still, you had trouble with you stepmom about that last time, right?"

She shrugged again. "She's okay now. Since I always take a maddeningly long and complex detour home, more than upset she's worried about me not being able to come back home. Well, I guess that's what happens when I really love my stepbrothers."

Percy smiled. "Great news then." He thought for a moment. "But really, if you have trouble call me, okay? I can fly over once I whistle for Mrs O'Leary."

She blinked. "You still have that Stygian whistle?"

"No," he admitted, "but I trained calling out to her just like what I did with Blackjack. Though she's still getting the hand of it."

She chuckled. "You wouldn't be much of a help then."

"Hey!"

"I know, I know, you're genuinely offering you help. I know, okay, Percy?"

He huffed in displeasure, but one look at that mischievous grin she had, it was hard for him to stay purely mad for long.

"Then," he said, "at least call me when you have troubles. Promise?"

"I won't have too much troubles," she pointed out, "but I'll call, just for fun."

"What fun?" Percy asked, puzzled.

"To make you get all worked up worrying sick about me," she giggled.

Percy frowned. "Yeah. Wait till you see – I'll be beside you the next moment feeling relieved you've settled the case yourself."

She thought about this response. "That doesn't counter anything from me."

"No, it doesn't." Percy agreed. It was meant to be a reply without much of a meaning except for just "replying".

They stayed silent again, with the rest of the kids pouring out of the pavilion.

"I'll call you when I'm in trouble," she reassured, "and also when I'm on rocky edges with Sam."

This time his frown was genuine. "You have problems with your boyfriend?"

She sighed. "Not exactly. But you know, there are some times when a girl cannot understand her boy, much less a boy. So I might need, you know, advice from a guy-friend like you so I can decide whether or not to forgive him."

Percy thought about this for a good moment. "Err, I'm not sure if I am suitable for that," he said uneasily, "besides: what are you going to do if I gave you a bad impression about that guy when he's actually innocent?"

"Hm, true," she said, "then when I know he's innocent I'll come back to you."

"I don't like the sound of that."

Soon the last trios were trickling out of the pavilion.

"So are you and Sam alright?" Percy asked.

"Yes. Just…feeling unstable sometimes when I haven't heard from him. It's been three days."

"He'll get back to you," Percy cajoled. Annabeth nodded gratefully, and stood, patting away dust from her runt. "It was awesome talking to you," she said.

He nodded. "Take care."

She winked, "I will, big brother."

"Good night, little sis," he grinned. She grinned back one last time before running back to her cabin. Percy smiled; he enjoyed these little moments with Annabeth, and thoroughly enjoyed the little siblings bond they shared between.

* * *

He frowned at the figure in his room. "Get out," he said immediately.

Nico gawked at him looking absolutely horrified. "But I just came!"

"Well, come back tomorrow."

"But I have nowhere to sleep tonight!" Nico quipped, "And I certainly won't sleep with the Hermes cabin; they'll pester me till morning!"

"Well you can sleep with Mrs O'Leary in her kennel, can't you?"

Nico's face drained of color to pale white. "You don't seriously mean that, do you?"

Percy raised one of his eyebrows, clearly looking down at him like he would to a roach. Nico shrunk under that kind of gaze, since it badly reminded him of the first one he received the morning after he boned Percy a few months ago.

"Well," Percy said dangerously, "I wouldn't mind giving you a few spare blankets, if that's the problem you mean."

Nico knew his (pre-)lover was serious about it.

That night, Mrs O'Leary had her first guest in her kennel and was overjoyed to have a great source of warmth in exchange for once.

* * *

"Nico, why do you smell of dog?"

Nico gritted his teeth in pure embarrassment. The showers – both old and new – were packed with guys and he didn't like the fact he had to be told being smelt like a dog throughout the whole journey to a bath cubicle.

_Damn Percy_, he growled mentally, _I'll get you for this. Just wait and see._

Nico turned to smile at the small kid Kevin, who was with him in the changing area. "I just played with Mrs O'Leary," he replied.

Just then Travis and Connor Stoll decided to drop by on the precise moment Nico just changed, and they too – wrapped in bath towels – sniffed the air. "Phew! What the heck is that?" Connor exhaled, "Travis, did you bring in the dog-perfume again?"

"No, I didn't," his brother said, "At least my clothes happen to be in the washing machine, and I have no pockets to hold it. Are you sure you didn't spill it on yourself last night?" he suggested innocently, "It might be on your arms still."

"I just came out from a bath, dimwit!" Travis scowled, "Maybe you have it on your hair!"

"Well, I just came out from a bath too!"

"Hey, cut it out," Nico snapped, "your yells echo horribly in bathrooms and its deafening."

It's true; bathrooms resonated so much that they almost seemed to be _made_ to echo sounds, and with the amount of yelling from the squabbling twins, everybody within the bathroom would go deaf.

"He's right, Stoll!" somebody shouted from one of the cubicles, "Turn the volume down!"

Did he remember to mention their bathroom now was also a gigantic dome of marble that happened to multiply resonation more?

"You too!" Travis shouted back. He had a hand to his ear, face scrunched up in slight wince. Connor studied Nico and took a sniff at his side. "Phew! Is that dog I smell from you?"

Nico tried not to slap him. "I am guessing yes by 99.9%."

Connor smiled at Nico looking sorry for him. "Man, if you wanted to use the dog-spray, you could just knock on the doors and ask. No need to spill it shadow-travelling to our rooms."

It took all of Nico's might to not will Connor away from the bathroom and drop him right in the middle of the Lake outside via shadow-travel.

"If you excuse me," Nico said shoving throught them purposely, "I need to have a shower to rub off this scent of Mrs O'Leary's dog breathe."

"Oh…"

As Nico trudged away, he could hear the last murmurs between the Stoll brothers.

"No wonder he smelt like dog-spray…"

"Well, we did make it out from Mrs O'Leary's saliva…"

Nico finally snapped and willed a little water from a cubicle beside him, earning a satisfied yelp from both brothers the moment they were drenched by unknown sources of water from above.

* * *

Before he stepped in, Nico was fairly sure through his whole life that he was never the kind of guy to be horny in a mere (on top of that, _solo_) shower room. Hormones proved that wrong the moment he shut the cubicle door with a nice click.

The clicking of the lock triggered the recent memory of him and Percy in one of the cubicles the previous day which in turn, to his astonishment/horror, made Nico jumped. His heart was beating fast. Thousands of images – from real happenings to fantasies he wished had happened – conjured up to a whirlwind and messed his head. He was shocked at the reaction and shook his head in defiance. Muttering curses under his breathe, he quickly sauntered over to the showerhead. He accidentally blasted himself with a cold current, forcing him out of his dilemma temporarily with an embarrassing yelp. Thoroughly annoyed, he altered the temperature and finally gave a sigh at the comfortable one.

He leaned against the walls and looked at the steam floating upwards. The walls were pretty high, he realized, even though it was the second time he used this place. And thanks to that fact the voices of other people were muffled by a lot, included what he guessed as a yell from a fellow camper (though for what reasons he don't know). Which means his yelp just now could have gotten the chance of not being heard quite well (even though a bit was impossible to extinguish). And it might also mean smaller voices would be inaudible, plus with the blasts of showers going on…

He shook his head furiously. The action prolonged for some while, but the effects were beginning to fade, he soon started to hum a song really loudly in efforts to knock out whatever ideas he had in his head. No, Nico di Angelo was not going to jack off in a public shower. No. No._ No no no no no no no no NO –_

He banged his head against the wall. Damn it. Too many things were running around his body and brain. He cursed.

The sensation of a squirming Percy haunted his body. The images of yesterday afternoon's wet-and-sexy Percy haunted his eyesight.

Oh well. He was given no choice.

* * *

"Oh, that's a problem," Malcolm said as he frowned, "were the showers too hot for you Nico? Your face is red like a boiled lobster."

Nico very nearly slipped grandiosely on the tiles. He had just walked out from the shower, appear at the changing area, and already this is the first reaction he receives? He did a quick glance-scan on his appearance in alarm. He was obviously shirtless on top, save for the towel around his neck. He wore underwear on the bottom AND it showed nothing suspicious (he was still 'safe-zone'). In fact apart from slightly pinkish skin, nothing in view was suspicious. Was his face showing that much color then? If so, that was a _HUGE_ problem.

Luckily for him, Malcolm was the only one in the changing room (patiently waiting for a response?). Nico straightened up and tried his damned best to feign being unfazed - yet even then he felt he was losing composure every second. "Hello, Malcolm. No, the showers weren't too hot; I just happened to like an extra warm one today."

"Really?" Malcolm raised his eyebrows, then thought the better of something, and shrugged. "Well, tell us or the Hephaestus cabin if anything's wrong, okay?" The son of Athena said before pulling his own shirt off.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to let you know."

And not wasting one more moment, he quickly scurried off, grabbing his set of clothes to change in it just as swiftly before disappearing behind the doors to the outside.

Malcolm continued to undress. Halfway, though, he started trembling. Soon he was slanting forward to lean against the lockers. He started cracking up in unstoppable hysteric laughter.

"Ho ho ho! Ho Nico! You're so damn obvious, you!" he howled. Luckily, nobody understood what was going on outside, even if they heard or saw the hysterically laughing son of Athena.

* * *

Percy was most glad that Nico did not pop up beside his bed when he woke up that morning. If he did, he would have certainly kicked the guy out with Hans the Water Warrior. He even kept a bathtub full of water in the room now for express-summoning.

He didn't run into the guy the whole morning, which was a good thing; he couldn't quite trust his current senses to remain sane or controlled and not slam the bamboo-shoot of Hades upon every encounter. Standing in the training arena now, having dismissed his last class of junior demigods, he still didn't sense the prick around. For some reason, Percy was sure that he could sense Nico if he were nearby. Maybe it was because he had raised his alert senses after being snuck upon by said assaulter in the cubicles yesterday.

He splayed a hand over his face. Why was he condemned to see the twit again? Oh, but he wasn't a twit anymore, was he? He was now a one-point-seven-plus-meter-tall teenage that most girls would swoon over – a fact that just added to Percy's "Reasons Why I Get Irritated" list. Sure he may be handsome – too bad that, as a guy too, Percy didn't see that complementing. Irritating.

"Hi, Percy."

He opened his eyes to see Malcolm standing before him, waving his hand. He managed to smile.

"Hey."

"You got a headache or something?" Malcolm asked. He looked like he was laughing more than he should, but the look disappeared soon enough. Percy left it as he was imagining things.

"…Sort of," he patted his sword, "Are you free now? I feel like killing dummies, but doing it alone just seems sad."

* * *

Percy decided by the end of the practice and showers that, like Annabeth, Malcolm was just as pleasant a company. They at least didn't tamper with his emotional distress. Sure, Ares kids could provoke anyone into a fight and Aphrodite kids could easily allure you if you weren't careful; equally, Athena kids could make you feel you miserably inferior against their ingenuity – they could be annoyingly smart and be haughty about their wisdom. But those were harmless, compared to emotional manipulation. He hated the latter.

"If you could order anything for dinner, what would you order?" Malcolm asked as they walked to the dining pavilion. The showers were great, Percy was refreshed and most of all, he felt like he's finally liberated from some torture he isn't remembering now. Walking side-to-side with Malcolm – whom he wasn't so close with before but is now best buddies – with a friendly topic like that improved his mood too.

"A lot of stuff, I guess. But I'd order for blue food whenever it's possible – like waffles and cookies," Percy replied. "You?"

"I miss mash potatoes with peas. Then bread besides sizzling pieces of bacon. Then red radish and lettuce salad."

"Whoa, where'd you get that list?" Percy looked at him in awe.

"Cottage food. Fell in love with it when I visited a tourist village with my mortal family. I'm kind of the regular health nut."

"Don't we always eat healthy food?" Percy rolled his eyes. The dining pavilion in Camp Half-Blood was a completely healthy canteen.

Malcolm grinned. "That's where I wish for more complicated stuff; like buttermilk pancakes with loads of syrup for breakfast, or seafood fried rice for lunch, or roasted rib-steak for dinner."

Percy laughed. "You eat a lot too!"

"Happens when we're on growth spurts," Malcolm laughed too, "But you know what I miss most?"

"What?"

"A bowl of soup," Malcolm sighed, "We need an extra bowl for soup. I might as well start working on investing some in camp for the projects."

Percy was glad they finally made it to the pavilion. He just wasn't as happy as he was supposed to be when Malcolm mentioned 'soup'.

"Man, look what you've done," he turned around to grumble at the son of Athena, "Now I want some soup too."

Malcolm grinned wickedly. And before Percy could react, he chanted: "Tomato soup! Oxtail soup! Salmon and vegetable chowder! Beef gravy!"

"Hey, hey, HEY! Shut up!" Percy yelled, devastated at the sudden cruel tactic. "Stop yelling them out! Malcolm!"

"Lentil soup! Vegetable stew! Lamb stew with croutons! "

Suddenly a great idea formulated in Percy's head. "You won't have them idea!" he overrode the voice frequency and shouted.

Malcolm just placed his hands over his ears and rushed towards his table. At least he had shut up. Malcolm turned over and grinned at him. He waved, "See you!"

Percy half-grinned and half-growled back. "See you."

He saw when Malcolm reached the Athena table, his siblings, who had heard his chants, smacked him upside the head and hissed: "What on earth possessed you to say that?" "Now I miss soup too!" "I thought we agreed to not mention the dish?" "That's it: first thing in the morning you go straight to the Demeter's's cabin and ask for a few vegetables – and _you _cook soup for us tomorrow lunch!"

Huh, cooking. Percy guessed that was one subject they didn't really get to learn here in Camp. He wasn't a fan of cooking, but seeing how people get excited during and after preparing the dish made him want to try sometimes too.

He played with the little idea for a while and stopped dead in his tracks. Nico di Angelo was hovering nearby the Poseidon table, and was looking imploringly at Percy for permission to sit.

…At least he still had manners.

Since he was also in a relatively good mood too, Percy waved a hand. Nico sat right beside him when they took place.

"Hi," Nico tried.

"Hi," Percy said back. He was rounder than yesterday, but still had the edginess.

"What was that just now?" Nico furrowed his eyebrows, looking at Malcolm, "Why did he shout every soup name available?"

Percy found himself a little curious. "Say, don't you miss soup for meals sometimes?"

Nico frowned. "I don't really think about it. I mean," he glanced at Percy, "I hardly eat. Soups were rare in my diet too. Do you?"

"I do." Percy tried not to show the shock on his face when he heard Nico. He'd totally forgotten that Nico, infuriating as he is, was still the boy who was once a vengeance-ridden kid, the son of Hades that once avoided everybody and malnourished himself. Maybe it was due to the sudden contrasting images in his head that Percy felt violently sick.

"Percy?"

"Nothing. Don't worry. I'm fine." He didn't realize his voice had become tamer, normal – just like the times when he'd been big-brother-ing Nico and assured him everything was alright.

Nico's eyes widened. Bad effects.

"Do you think Malcolm's going to cook soup for them tomorrow?" he immediately switched topics.

Percy tried to clear his head, oblivious to the fact that Nico was watching him and knew. "Err, not sure. Does the Demeter's cabin have vegetables?"

"They have tomato plants growing on their walls, if you haven't noticed," Nico rolled his eyes, "and they have a farm on their roof. You'd be surprised at how many veggies they can snack on without getting caught."

"They have a farm on their roof?" Percy stared at him in disbelief. "I only saw grass!"

"Yeah, it's actually movable," Nico grinned. He liked how things were going; almost normal like last time, no hostility. "Miranda told me they asked the Hephaestus cabin to create some device where they can 'move' a portion of land upstairs. They wanted to farm, but with little land rights and thieves around the place, they had to make it where no one could touch it but them. It does move, you know; its beside the grass roof so both sides have photosynthesis, and above in the nights. I stumbled up there once. Katie freaked out and shooed me with her hoe though. By the way, according to Gregory, the season's full of green beans, carrots, basil and zucchini."

Percy gawked. "How did you know all that? Wait, when were you so close with the Demeter's cabin?"

Nico grinned. "You'd be surprised. They asked me to let Mrs O'Leary be their guard dog for the garden. Apparently, they think we _both_ own Mrs O'Leary."

Speaking of dog…Percy remembered he chased Nico into the hellhound's kennel last night. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

Nico winced. "She snores a lot in her sleep. So, do you think Malcolm will cook?"

Percy sighed. He knew the kid just avoided the topic. "Maybe. If the harpies will lend him the kitchen, or the Athena cabin has a secret kitchen they asked the Hephaestus cabin to build for them too." He blinked. "How about you try stumbling into their cabin too? You're practically free too, right?"

"No thanks. Annabeth promised she will murder me if I ever did, even by accident. Umm, about free time: can we spend it together? Doing normal stuff!" he yelped hurriedly, "We could play card…err, read books, I mean. Or finish assignments. Anywhere you want." Ooh, that was dangerous. Cards were possibly a taboo, since the first night he boned Percy was during their card game too. It could set off explosives.

Percy narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Don't try anything funny," he warned.

"Won't. That I can promise." _Yes!_ Nico internally cheered. He got guarantee!

"Swear – "

"Ooh, suddenly I'm not hungry anymore! See ya!" Nico shot up from his seat and ran out of the pavilion. Percy realized with horror that the kid kind of went _through_ people when they collided with him; just like how he partially went through Percy's Hans the Water Warrior's fist-smash in the bathrooms yesterday.

Percy stared open-mouthed. He shut it back and tried not to look absolutely furious, even if he was. Why was he furious? Because: a) Nico avoided swearing he wouldn't do something funny – which wasn't guaranteeing any safety at all, and; b) he just ditched Percy; after a letting out a funny outburst that must have been audible to everybody, on top of that. Unforgivable.

"Blue coke," he ordered the goblet in front of him. It instantly filled up. At least something listened to his wishes.

* * *

**A/N: M-rated will come, don't worry. In fact, should I re-post this as a new chapter in T-rated "Pandemonium Hearts I" and separate it from II? Or just leave it be? I wonder why did I mention one chapter for I and II each *glares at First time: I love you*.**

**...Nah, I won't change it.**

**Unless if you want to have a say, then feel free to leave reviews as your answer! No guarantees in changes though! XD**

** Thank you for reading! **


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